Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Pours a murky brown with a 3 inch foamy beige head that settles to a craggy cap on top of the beer. A foamy latticework of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt/grain, earthy yeast, funk, and some sour cherry aromas. Taste is of sour cherry and mild Brett funk up front with some earthy grain flavors on the finish. This beer lives up to its name and is indeed sweet and sour at the same time. There is a lower level of carbonation with only a slight crispness. Overall, this is a good beer that is quite tasty and easy to drink. (548 characters)

A: The beer is hazy light reddish brown in color and has a light amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass. S: Light to moderate aromas of sourness and cherries are present in the nose. T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a mixture of light sourness from the brett and hints of sweetness from the cherries. M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied and is mostly tart on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. O: This beer isn't very sour so it would make for a good beer for someone to try that is trying the style for the first time. There's just enough cherries and sweetness to prevent this from being very sour. (777 characters)

Poured into a tulip glass. The color is a red amber with a good light tan head and some lacing. The nose is red wine, tart cherries, mild vinegar, and a bit of funk. The taste adds in a bit of oak and is a bit heavy on the acetic acid. Good puckering feel with some light funk and oak. Drinks quite well; another enjoyable brew from De Proef. (364 characters)

totally different than any other flemish red ive had. pours a little redder than copper, with a touch of haze and a one inch tan head that has nice patchy retention. smells smokey, familiar but i dont know how. also lots of tart cherries in the nose. yeasty too. flavor is so weird, earthy, but its got a beef jerkey sort of flavor that comes from the aroma. hard to describe really, any cherry or brett flavors take a back seat to that beefy meaty smoke flavor. i dont dislike it, but its really different. feel is good, well carbonated with a medium body at the most. a 750ml is a lot of this beer, but it works for me i guess. worth a try for its distinct aromatic and flavor profile, but dont come in expecting a traditional flemish sour. (742 characters)

Like mu shu pork dishes, De Proef's rendition of sweet Kriek and and sour Lambic brings the intertwine of sweet and spice together in harmonious fashion.

And with the cherry fruits front and center, the beer's hue takes on the color of cherry in a deep honey-amber tone. A creamy blanket of cottony froth coats the ale and laces with intricate patterns while trailing with sturdy retention.

And again in aroma, the scent of cherries are prevalent- both sour and sweet versions show with the intensity found in fresh baked cherry pies. Complex earthen notes waft over the nose with sea air, wet hay, and a mild wood spice twang.

Once again, its fruit-forward taste is reminiscent of "Sour Patch" candies and reduced cherries- both tart and black. Saved by the musty underpinnings of brine, dried limes, light leather, weathered cedar and hay all provide a depth of mature tastes that balance the fruit to perfection. Spicy late, the ale is mildly peppery, acidic, and somewhat medicinal for a counter to the tart sweetness that commands the early palate.

Medium-light in body, the sour ale is malty and moderately creamy until the acidic sharpness cuts right through the malts and favor a wine-like finish with a balsamic pang. Its alcohol is hardly detectable while the sourness provides the dryness that's experienced in its conclusion.

The beer isn't as sweet as the more popular cherry sour ales but isn't as dry as the more authentic Kriek Ales. Its medium intensity and medium weight makes it ideally suited for like-minded cuisine- like Mu Shu Pork? (1,561 characters)

Bottle courtesy of Bu11zeye: Poured a cloudy light brown/red color ale with a super huge foamy head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of oak with some tart note is pretty interesting with some great notes of Brett/funky yeast. Taste is dominated by great oak and tart notes with some sourness which is offset by the funky and barnyard like taste of the yeast. Lots of complexities can be found in this beer. Body was full with some limited filtration and some great carbonation. An interesting experience and something I would definitely like to try again. (561 characters)

Glowing firelight red-orange with bright Sunkist edges. Or maybe... polished copper kettle reflecting the last rays of a tropical sunset. This is my favorite beer color of all-time, hands down. The sticky, meringue-like crown holds up its end with no trouble at all, laying down scads of thick lace as it slowly melts. It doesn't get any better than this.

The nose is much more Brettanomyces-intensive than your average Flanders red ale. Of course, knowing De Proefbrouwerij, I didn't expect anything close to an average Flanders red. The barnyard funkiness doesn't quite cover up the scent of sour Belgian black cherry juice. I love what Brettanomyces does to beer, but it needs to be scaled back a little more in this case, so that center stage can be reserved for the cherries.

I feel the same way about the flavor profile, but to a lesser extent. Pungent funk rules early, there's no question about that. If one allows the beer to soak into the tongue, however, the tangy fruitiness of the black cherries rushes in at the midway point and dominates at the finish (as much as any flavor can dominate in a Brett-fermented beer).

I couldn't find out if Zoetzuur ever spent time in oak barrels. My guess is unquestionably 'yes'. There's a wonderful woodiness throughout the flavor arc, especially on the incredibly drying back end. I haven't even mentioned the hops yet. Who the hell puts East Kent Goldings and Tomahawk (Columbus) in a Flanders red? Nice idea, but I'm having a hard time appreciating them.

Perhaps the best part about this incredibly complex ale is a characteristic indicated by its name. Zoetzuur translates as 'sweet-sour'... and that is exactly what it is. The black cherry juice (and what tastes and feels like a generous amount of malt) adds more sweetness than is typical for the style. That sweetness is a fascinating foil for the puckery sour tanginess that lovers of this sort of beer crave.

The mouthfeel needs just a little more of that Belgian magic known as uplifting carbonation. With more mouthfilling volume, it would easily earn the next highest score. I'm splitting hairs here, but I remember Rodenbach Grand Cru as being superior when it comes to this characteristic.

Zoetzuur Flemish Ale is yet another outstanding creation from one of my favorite Belgian brewers. It's a near perfect melding of the Flanders red and wild ale styles that fans of each should love for its sheer inventiveness. Not to mention its lip smacking deliciousness. Extract the cork and let the sweet-sour mouth party begin! (2,541 characters)

A hazy, ruddy red tone, with off-white foam that has a lively sizzle. Lacing spiderwebs cling to the glass for the duration. Active carbonation gives the sense that this ale is completely alive, and the wild whiff of Brett confirms this.

Horsey Brett aroma slightly magnifies toward the end of the glass. It's not heavy or unpleasant, but musky and woody. Berry and iron notes figure in to a lesser extent.

Tartness is there but it's at a low level. Not as one-dimensional sweet/sour as some other Flanders Reds can be. Sour twang is felt briefly at the back of the mouth, and gets the salivary glands working. It's not quite lactic, but certainly wild, like a yogurt culture. Metallic iron/copper note appears in the first few sips, but thankfully subsides. Overall it's fairly bright, with the prerequisite tartness, and vague sweet upturn. What's unique about it is the showcase of wild yeast/bacteria, which feeds the drinker's curiosity.

Easily drinkable & refreshing by the sip or gulp.

I've tried a 750 of this before, and wasn't too impressed. The tap version has redeemed it enough for me to give it another shot. The bottle had an off-putting plastic band-aid quality in the taste, that was really off and out of place. (1,272 characters)

S: Plenty of sour cherries right off the bat. A bit of vinegar, some lactic notes, and a hint of malt sweetness as well.

T: A really solid acidity to the flavor which keeps this beer really "bright" and easy to drink. Good cherry notes along with a bit of sweetness that goes well with the sourness. Not too much oak, but a decent dryness and tannic component.

M: The body is medium with a very lively carbonation and a dry finish.

D: I haven't been all that crazy about a lot of the De Proef beers, but this one was very nice. I'll have to see how the bottles in my cellar hold up. (656 characters)

T - Dramatically sour with a brown, malty flavor to balance. Carmel and balsamic vinegar notes in the middle with very intense woodiness taking over in the finish. Quite a lot of wild funk in the finish along with a powerful tannic bite from the wood.

D - Very nice overall with a great sweet and sour interplay, especially in the nose. The tannins are a bit excessive for my palate, and the funk might be overdone as well, but all in all, one of the best Flemmish Reds I have come across. (820 characters)

Thanks to mughugger for sharing this w/ BitterBeerFace, HombreWing and me. Poured chilled into a Gouden Caroulus goblet

A - Deep amber w/ full white head of about an inch. There is a slight haze on this ale, probably from temperature

S - Cherry and raspberries w/ tropical accents like mango and pineapple. the medley of sweet and sour aromas is great. It has more sour notes when swirled, but has a nice nose

M - This is excellent feel-wise. This ale is not so sour that it makes you pucker, just enough to add depth and give the fruity sweetness contrast. It is highly effervescent and feels light but bursts w/ energetic presence

T - The main flavor is similar to strawberry w/ an earthy note and slight brett w/ subtle citrus and herbal tinges. The grain and yeast combine to give a nice underlying spice taste but the sweetness is relaxed and the flavors are layered w/ complexity

D - This is just out of this world drinkable for a 7% ale. The representation of the style is great I would drink this any chance I can get it is refreshing and has depth not something you can find often like the best of both worlds (1,124 characters)

750ml brown glass bottle with hood and wire cap over a cork served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the style and to an extent the brewery. I know Mikkeller brews at De Proef a lot, and I'm quite fond of his work, but I do think that this brewery might be a bit too scientific and clinical to pull off a proper sour.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of some limited cream, pretty good thickness, and great retention for the above average ABV. Colour is nontransparent non-opaque caramel-red. Generally appealing, but far from ideal for the style. No floating yeast particles are visible - perhaps due to the nontransparency.

Sm: Brett yeast - lending it some complex funkiness, other yeast, some cream, hints of bacteria, and tart fruit. A moderate strength aroma. Both complex and subtle. I'm excited to try it; it's certainly alive. I'm hoping the taste lives up to the promise of the aroma.

T: Pleasant cream opens it up to the nicely brett-laden flavour profile, complete with bacteria, tart cherry, and yeasty notes that manage to add complexity and a light spicy character without feeling overly biscuity. Cream resurges on the climax. The cherry juice might mute the profile a bit; it feels a bit timid. No alcohol comes through - not a bad feat given the 7.00% ABV. Balanced nicely. I'd like it to trust its flavours more and really bring the boldness, but it's pretty mellow - to its detriment. Complex, layered, and subtle. The malts don't come through hardly at all even as an aspect of the foundation, which I think is to its benefit but also lends it a certain emptiness that detracts from the body; consequently it comes off a bit weak and not nearly as full-bodied as I'd like.

Mf: Light on the palate, delicate, and silky smooth, with some cream throughout as an undertone. Perfectly carbonated. It's thin, but this strangely works for the beer. That said, it just doesn't have a strong impact on the palate, a characteristic amplified by its weak body.

Dr: Very drinkable, especially for the relatively high ABV. I could easily drink this all night - and would want to, if not for the somewhat limited quality and high price. I had high hopes for this beer and while it didn't meet them, I wouldn't call it a disappointment. I wouldn't purchase it again without some age on it, but I might recommend it to fans of this specific style. As sours go, it's far from exemplary.

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy reddish brown color with a nice 1-2 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some nice soapy lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big tart cherry, cherry skin, apple, cranberry, earthiness, funk, grass, oak, light acidity, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good complexity. Taste of tart cherry, cherry skin, apple, cranberry, pepper, earth, grass, light vinegar, oak, and yeast spices. Light tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart cherry, apple, cranberry, pepper, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Nice tart and sweet flavor balance and complexity; with cherry sweetness being more prominent. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly slick and syrupy mouthfeel as expected. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Very smooth to drink but is a bit of a sipper. Overall this is a fantastic, very pleasant, and enjoyable Flanders red ale. Nice complexity and balance; and very smooth to drink. I had no trouble finishing the 750. (1,111 characters)

The beer pours a hazy brown-red color with a white head. The aroma is tart with some sour wheat, lemons, brett funk and vegetables. The flavor is sour wheat, citrus, lemons, sour dark fruit, corn, green vegetables and cherries. A very odd mix of flavors but I think it works pretty well. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. (328 characters)

A: Beautiful ruby color with a whipped meringue head that lingers for several minutes, leaving big lacing. Awesome appearance!

S: Sweet cherries and wild yeast, definitely in that order

T: SWEET! sour. This is beer is much sweeter than it is sour. I was really expecting and hoping for a better balance between the two. Sweet cherries and cherry juice dominate the flavors, so much so that I feel I may be missing out on other complexities in this beer. There is only a hint of sourness, along with a yeasty, bread-like quality. The flavor is tasty and done well, but heavily favoring sweet cherry.

M: Sweet and smooth. Average feel.

D: I couldn't even finish my glass. The sweetness becomes very cloying, and quickly. (751 characters)

Smell- This one seems like it was going to be more sour than sweet from the scent. Strong sour aroma emits. Maybe a mixed bag of fruits in here.

Taste- Not too sour, but the sour definitely overpowers the sweetness. A mild pucker cherry flavor with the nice brett flavor happening at the same time. The sweetness barely gets your attention, but does round out the beer nicely. Has a slight odd metallic taste in the background..barely, but it's there.

Mouthfeel- Medium to higher carbonation level. Light pucker action.

Drinkability- A nice effort here. Would buy again, just to see if that metallic taste was a one time thing. If so, this could be a very good Flanders..still good as is though. (991 characters)

Enticing aromas of cherries and tropical fruit waft from my glass as I pour this beer. The beer is a lightly hazy amber color and is topped by a frothy tan to light amber head. Ooh, as I go in for a deeper sniff, I get notes of funk to go along with the fruity notes. There is the characteristic Brett signature with notes of sweaty horse blanket, musty leather. I was not expecting so much funkiness in this beer, but I am quite happy that it is here.

The taste is lightly tart up front with soft cherry notes. There is lots of fairly substantial funk here as well, I get notes of sharp urea, old cat pee, chewy musty almost moldy leather. There is a definite astringency in the finish that seems to be derived from the microbiota that were used to ferment this beer. The sourness reminds me of tart cherries, lemon, and perhaps a hint of grapefruit. This is not as hard, and tart as I would prefer from my Sour beers, but at least the sweetness is in check. The sweetness is definitely here but it does not overwhelm in anyway, it just accentuates the fruitiness, and helps to balance the tartness. The cherry notes that are present in this beer are characteristic of Brettanomyces Lambicus strain, it is quite interesting in its expressive presence.

This beer is totally enjoyable, and it actually is much more intense on the Brett end than the classic Rodenbach Grand Cru, if it had the tartness, and more of the balsamic notes, it would perhaps rival it even, but alas it does not so it falls a little short. I am a sucker for funky, sour beers, and No doubt, I would love to have a case of this in my cellar, unfortunately I only picked 1 bottle of this up, and I don't think that I will be able to replenish it any time soon. (1,738 characters)

750ml corked & caged bottle poured into a chimay goblet twice. picked this up at state line not to long ago.

A- Zoetzuur is a dark red color with rusty qualities bordering on brown. A 1/2 finger off white sticky head comes forth with some moderate lacing. A bit more head retention would be nice.

S- A mix of sweet and sour goodness. I'm getting a lot of sour cherry and apples and barnyard funk. Other fruits such as raspberries come to mind. some oak and vinegar as expected.

T- The huge apple taste in this flemish is in the forefront with sour cherries to follow. Oak and wood follow with a touch of plum. I'm picking up some sweet malt(very slight) with the more prevelent vinegar bland taste. Some spices emerge as the beer warms and the sourness develops further.

M- A tad thinner that i'm used to and could use some work. Over all this is pretty mellow with good carbonation. The flavors do not stick around forever making it an easy drinker even though it's not my favorite flanders red.

D- Pretty good drinkability on this even though i was not too impressed by it. The flavors were there but the over all vinegar blandness keeps me from loving it. A thicker mouthfeel would of helped smooth things out. I probably would have enjoyed this more in the spring. One bottle is plenty.

Overall a good job by De Proef but not mindblowing, a good choice to introduce a newbie to the style. (1,399 characters)

Large bottle, typical Belgian broad shouldered bottle. Pours tequilla sunrise red, the head is soft, fluffy head a dull shade of medium khaki, that leaves thick sheeting and reveals an earthy nose, with some funky components. This a spiced up and warming brew. Spices seem to be in the neighborhood of mild holiday. Tasty and complex, with notes of ripe cherries and other fruits as it warms and opens up. Delicious brew. Interesting and different. Eclectic Belgian lovers will surely enjoy this one (499 characters)

Deep chili/chipotle pepper red body, not much clarity but you can see just a tad bit of faint carbonation rising. Head is creamy and filled with sheets of a whipped tan light creme like lacing. Three to two fingers tall easily, leaves a thin creamy puck also.

Oh man is this bouquet gorgeous. Sweet and sour cherries. This smells like it comes from a barrel (it doesn't I think), with round vanilla notes and soft creamy milk. Small hints of red hot cinnamon. Just wonderful stuff nearly perfect and gorgeous.

Palate definitely hits at lighter body, but perfectly fine with the malt and flavors to come. First sip fills with Kriek like sweet juiced cherries, giving away to a sour softness. Faint caramel, and a big dry finish. Mineral aftertaste that really lingers, with a light body, almost dry white wine crisp, but not quite brut champagne territory. Sweet and sour balances of cherries, and some milk sweetness, with thick malt body of vanilla sort of missing hinted on the nose.

De Proef Zoetzuur Flemish Ale(according to the bottle, brewed with Kriek juice)

Pours a nice ruby color, off white head and nice lacing. Aroma of berries, so quite fruity and slight hint of funk. In the taste, a nice tart sourness, mild acidity, sugary malt, and a hint of cherry juice. Very well balanced with a perfect mix of sweet, sour, malt, and fruit. Ever so slight touch of red wine vinegar. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and drying. Overall, one of the best examples of the Flanders style, and the fruit is downplayed and left in the background where it belongs. Well done. (590 characters)